


How to Say Goodbye

by EverAfterWritings



Category: How to Train Your Dragon (Movies)
Genre: Dragon Riders, Multi, New Berk (How to Train Your Dragon)
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-12-06
Updated: 2021-01-17
Packaged: 2021-03-10 03:00:15
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 13
Words: 16,813
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27907111
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/EverAfterWritings/pseuds/EverAfterWritings
Summary: Twenty-three years after the Hidden World was discovered, Astrid is working on a very special dress with her daughter, Zephyr. Astrid and her husband, Hiccup, tell their children about all that happened after they defeated Grimmel and said goodbye to their dragons.
Relationships: Heather/Fishlegs Ingerman, Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III/Astrid Hofferson, Nuffink Haddock/OC, Zephyr Haddock/OC
Comments: 2
Kudos: 20





	1. How to Tell a Story

How to Tell a Story

**_*Astrid's POV*_ **

It had been almost twenty-five years since the battle with Grimmel. Twenty-three years without dragons. Some of the young vikings in town thought they were just legends, but us Berkians, we knew the truth. Especially my husband, the chief. His best friend had been a dragon. I sighed, remembering my girl, Stormfly. I quickly pushed the thoughts away and focused on the white fabric in my hands. "Zephyr, baby, come let me hold this up to you," I said, tucking a strand of gray hair behind my ears, but not to worry, I still had some blonde hidden in the gray streaks.

My daughter stood from her position on the floor and stepped forward so I could hold the top of the dress against her. She had been working on detailing the skirt.

"Do you think Spikelout will like it?" she asked nervously.

"Baby, he is going to fall over when he sees you in this wedding gown," I reassured her.

She laughed and twirled the end of her auburn braid with her fingers before sitting back on the floor to finish the skirt.

Yes, my daughter, Zephyr Haddock, was marrying a Jorgenson. Snotlout had actually married a wonderful woman named Willow. Spikelout was basically the opposite of his father. Spike was an intelligent, caring, gentlemanly, viking. He was also more attractive than his father, he got it from his beautiful mother. If you had told me twenty years ago that my newborn baby girl would one day marry the offspring of Snotlout, I would have slapped some sense into you. And yet here we were, sewing the wedding dress that she would be wearing at her wedding in three weeks time. There she would become Zephyr Jorgenson.

"Mom, can you tell me more stories about you and dad? The last one you told me was about how you guys defeated Grimmel. What happened after the dragons left?" Zephyr asked.

I sighed, "Well, baby, after they left it was hard for us vikings. We had learned to be dependant on our dragons. We managed to learn our old skills like fishing and hunting, but we really just missed having our best friends around. Especially your father…"

_***Twenty-three years earlier*** _

I watched as my boyfriend said goodbye to his best friend. It was then I realized I had to say goodbye to my best friend. Tears filled my eyes as I gave Stormfly one last scratch in her favorite spot before taking her saddle off. The tears fell unashamed down my face as every other Berkian did the same. Fishlegs gently placed the baby in Meatlug's mouth before all the dragons took off and followed their new king and queen, Toothless and the Light Fury.

As we watched the dragons fly into the sunset, I placed my hand on Hiccup's shoulder, letting him know I was there if he needed me. The other vikings went to their houses, but Hiccup didn't budge, even after we could no longer see the dragons.

"Babe, it is getting cold out. Do you want to go inside?" I asked softly. Hiccup did not respond. I sighed and got two blankets out of my saddlebag. It felt so strange to have my saddle on the ground, and not on a dragon. We were all going to miss the dragons, but Hiccup…. He was going to take it the hardest. I glanced back at my boyfriend as I unfolded the blankets. His face was tear-stained and his eyes looked as if he could start crying again at any moment. He had not spoken a word since the dragons had left.

I walked back over to the young chief and draped one of the blankets across his shoulders, sitting down next to him with my own blanket.

"Hiccup, you did the right thing. That is the only place they are safe," I whispered, gently running my fingers through his auburn hair and resting my head on his shoulder.

He did not answer. He just ever so slightly nodded and wrapped one arm around my waist. I knew this would take time, but I was still worried about him.

I absolutely hated seeing the man I loved like this. His usually bright and shining eyes had glazed over and were dull and slightly bloodshot from the tears. He has several new cuts and bruises from the battle that had taken place earlier that day. My hand slowly went up to a cut on his neck, causing him to wince. I sighed, knowing he would not let me touch it. I just settled with sitting next to him, hoping that was enough help.

The stars and the moon had come out without my noticing. I always loved stargazing, especially with Hiccup. However, I knew that night time was going to be difficult for my boyfriend for a while because it would just remind him of his beloved Night Fury. Suddenly, Hiccup sat up a little straighter and looked over at me. He opened his mouth to speak, but no words came out.

"What is it?" I asked, relieved that he actually wanted to say something.

Hiccup took a deep breath, then shocked me when he said, "Let's get married, Astrid."

My mouth had dropped open slightly, but I quickly shut it as soon as I had processed what he had just said. "What?" I asked quietly.

"When Berk needed a chief, I filled the role. But it is a lot to handle, my dad always told me that any good chief had a great chieftess. Right now that role is empty. I want you to fill that role," he said.

"Hiccup what exactly are you saying?" I asked.

He sighed and rubbed his hand on his neck, a cute little thing he does when he is nervous. "I am trying to ask if you want to actually set a date to marry me…"

My eyebrows scrunched together. "So you just want me to marry you because you think it is what's best for Berk?" I asked. The way he had said those things made it sound almost like marrying me would be a chore, like something he did not want to do.

"What? No, babe, I want to marry you because I love you. We are basically running this tribe as husband and wife. Why don't we make it official? We are already betrothed anyway. I promise this isn't just some task or chore. I truly want to marry you, Astrid. I love you," He said, taking one of my hands in one of his and sweeping a stray curl behind my ear. He still looked sad, but there was a glint of something in his eyes. Fear? No… Love? Maybe…

I looked up at him and realized he was so nervous he was shaking. I giggled softly. "I love you too. Yes, I will marry you, Hiccup Horrendous Haddock the Third," I said, before pressing my lips to his. Suddenly his arms were around me and he was kissing me in return. I could feel his body relaxing a little, the first time all day probably. It had been a very tense day. When we finally broke apart, Hiccup just rested his head on my shoulder. We sat that way for the rest of the night, falling asleep under the stars.


	2. How to Marry Your True Love

How to Marry Your True Love

Several months later, the big day was finally here. The weather was warm, the sun was out, my dress was the worst to put on, what could be better? Ruffnut and Heather eventually helped me with my dress. They kept commenting on how beautiful I looked as they did up the buttons and brushed my hair. My dress was white with long sleeves that were fitted against my arms. The skirt portion flowed out around my feet, making it easy to walk in. Heck, I could even have flown on Stormfly in this. The only slight issue with the dress was that it was extremely tight around my middle. Apparently, the seamstresses on Berk had wanted to slim my already thin figure even more.

Thinking of the dragons saddened me. Toothless would have been Hiccup's best man, if the dragons had still been around. Instead, Dagur was Hiccup's best man and Heather was my maid of honor. Ruffnut was another one of my bride's maids and Fishlegs was to stand next to Dagur.

Valka walked into the room and I turned around to look at her.

"Oh!" she gasped and put her hands over her mouth. She held her arms out to me.

"Astrid you are the most beautiful bride. My son won't know what hit him," she giggled as I hugged her. I felt two tears splash on my shoulder and I pulled back to check on her.

"Oh don't worry dear. It's a mother's job to cry when her child gets married. I am just so glad he found somebody like you," she said softly as she quickly wiped her eyes.

I smiled and kissed her cheek.

"Thank you, Valka," I whispered, "Hiccup is the best thing that has ever happened to me."

Valka smiled and hugged me again. "Well, are you ready to marry the chief of Berk?" she asked.

I chuckled and shook my head. "No," I said. All three of the women looked at me in shock. I laughed at their expressions before saying, "I am ready to marry Hiccup. He may be the chief, but it is Hiccup I am marrying." They all smiled and looked relieved.

Gobber knocked on the door and told us everyone was ready. Then in what felt like seconds, I was walking down the aisle, my Hiccup at the end. Gothi performed the ceremony. Everything was beautiful, and let me tell you, I have never been more in love with the man who stood before me.

He had changed so much in just six years. I mean, I bet all of us have changed, but nothing nearly as drastic as Hiccup. When he turned eighteen his face lost the baby fat and became smoother. I had convinced him to grow his hair a little longer. He had also gotten taller. That had been something that I was not expecting. But aside from the physical changes, he had become more confident, surer of himself. He had become the leader that the vikings of Berk had needed. He had led the dragon riders on Dragon's Edge for several years, and now he had led the entire tribe with grace, confidence, and wisdom. I could not have been more proud of this boy who had grown up to become an amazing man.

Our wedding day was a blur of people congratulating us, people toasting us, and eating far too much delicious food. By the end of the day, Hiccup and I were exhausted. My husband carried me through the front door, because he is a hopeless romantic, and then we both went upstairs to our bedroom. Hiccup flopped back onto our bed, yawning as he did so. I soon joined him, still in my bridal dress. It was beautiful, but not the best when it came to the whole "being comfortable" thing. I sat up with a groan.

"Hiccup, I think my dress is attempting to suffocate me," I groaned.

Hiccup chuckled and jumped into action. He started unbuttoning the buttons that went all the way down the back of my dress. I let a sigh of relief escape my lips as the tight dress fell around my waist while I sat on the bed. Getting it all the way off wasn't that difficult. I made sure to fold it neatly and place it in the trunk at the end of our bed for safekeeping. That's when I felt eyes on me. Turning my head slightly, I glanced back at my husband. His eyes were wide and he was staring at me.

"What?" I asked, laughing at his "fish-like" face. I looked down at myself and realized I was only wearing my breast bindings and my leggings.

"Oh you don't have to stare Hiccup," I giggled and walked over to him and sat down in his lap, taking his face between my hands and kissing him deeply. He rested his hands on my hips and…

**_*present*_ **

"Mom, I don't need to know about how I was conceived, okay? Just skip that." Zephyr interrupted me.

"Oh, you think that was when you were conceived? Well, you have misunderstood sweetheart. You weren't conceived for another two years," I told her, laughing at her surprised expression.

"Do the math, babe. Your father and I have been married for twenty-three years, you are only twenty," I reminded gently. She giggled when she realized and went back to sewing.

"Okay just skip the whole bedroom scene. I don't want to hear that," she said, pausing her stitching to look up at me.

Smiling at her, I started to say, "Zephyr, a man and a woman together like that is a beautiful thing. It shouldn't be taboo. After all, you and Spikelout…."

"Mom!"

I laughed and sighed, "Okay I'll stop teasing. So the next morning…."


	3. How to Make Breakfast With Your Husband

How To Make Breakfast With Your Husband

The morning after my wedding night felt surreal. I woke up in the arms of my husband, the light from the sun shining through our windows. From the sun's positioning, I guessed it to be a little before noon. Glancing back at my husband's face made me giggle. His eyes were shut peacefully, his hair was still a mess from the previous night, his lips looked soft and just perfect in the morning light. I couldn't resist leaning in to kiss him. He woke up and kissed me back, once he realized what was going on.

Both of us didn't have a stitch of clothes on our bodies, but we couldn't have cared less. He wrapped his arms around my waist and pulled my body close to him, burying his face in my neck, just above my chest. My fingers went to his hair and my other hand gently rubbed his bare back, feeling the scars that covered it. Most of his scars were from forge accidents with Gobber. Hiccup would often take his tunic off at work and just wear his pants, but that left his back and chest open for metal to scrape and fire to burn. Personally, I loved his scars. They showed what a hard worker he was. I admired him for it.

"Good Morning milady…" he sighed heavily against my skin.

"Goodmorning, love…" I whispered in response.

We just laid there, holding each other close. After several minutes we both decided we had to get up and make breakfast. I put on my fur robe and Hiccup just put on his pants. We walked downstairs to the kitchen together. Hiccup stretched his arms and looked out the window in our kitchen. He sighed, looking out over Berk.

"Will they survive without you for a day?" I asked as I started to light the fire in the stove.

He chuckled, "Yeah Gobber and Fishlegs are in charge today and tomorrow. That way we get some time to ourselves."

Hiccup walked up behind me and wrapped his arms around my middle, pulling me close to him. I giggled and mentioned something about burning the eggs, but that just made him start kissing my neck.

"Hiccup my legs are going to give out if you keep doing that," I said softly. Hiccup didn't make any move to stop, but thankfully there was a knock on the door.

Hiccup groaned and called out, "Gobber and Fishlegs are in charge today!"

The knocking continued. My husband grumbled as he walked to the door and opened it.

"What?" he said before looking up to see it was his mom.

"Oh hi, mom. What can I do for you?" he asked. By now I had tightened my robe and was standing beside HIccup.

"Good morning son, I was just going to bring by some of Meredith's milk for your breakfast," she said. Meredith was Valka's yak. The two absolutely adored each other.

"Awe that was so thoughtful. Thank you Valka," I said, taking the jar. Hiccup was saying goodbye and was about to shut the door but then the twins came up behind Valka. Valka said goodbye and began walking toward the village.

"What do you two want?" Hiccup asked Ruff and Tuff.

"Chicken is gone!" Tuff practically yelled. I laughed but quickly resumed my serious look when I realized how distraught Tuffnut was.

"Okay, well where did you last see him?" I asked. I looked over the twins' shoulders and saw a few other villagers coming up the walkway to our hilltop house. Hiccup saw them too because he interrupted Tuffnut and yelled "Okay I got married yesterday, guys! Astrid and I are staying in today and Gobber and Fishlegs are in charge! Go bother them."

Then he shut the door and locked it. His outburst had been quite humorous and made me laugh. Hiccup smiled and groaned, sitting down in his chair at the table.

"So much for a quiet morning to ourselves, huh?" he asked.

"Well, we are alone now…" I said, walking over to sit in his lap. Hiccup untied my robe and started kissing my chest. We would have kept going, if the smell of burning eggs hadn't started filling our house. Hiccup and I both jumped up and ran to the stove, laughing the entire time.

**_*present*_ **

Zephyr was laughing so hard she had to put her needle and thread down.

"You and dad really don't ever have a moment to yourselves anymore," she laughed.

"Yes, we have to work hard to get alone time. Thankfully, you and Spike won't have to worry too much about that. You two won't have any chief duties over your heads. No, that is all for your brother," I said, stitching up the neckline of the dress.

"I think Nuffink will enjoy it though," Zephyr mused as she went back to work on the hemline.

"I think so too," I responded.

"So what is the next big thing that happened?" Zephyr asked.

"Well, not quite a year had passed after our wedding when a horrible sickness struck Berk. That was one of the hardest winters we have ever gone through as a tribe…"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I went ahead and posted two chapters since they were both pretty short. Enjoy!


	4. How to Find a Cure

How To Cure The Quakes

**_*twenty-two years earlier*_ **

"The count is up to ten. Ten vikings, Hiccup!" Snotlout yelled, slamming his fist on the table in the great hall.

"I know, I know, Snotlout. Just let me think. Maybe there is something in the dragon eye or the book of dragons? Has anybody contacted Gothi?" Hiccup asked, his hand going to the back of his neck again.

"What good would the dragon eye and the book of dragons do us if the dragons are all gone?" Ruffnut said from her chair at the far end of the table next to her brother.

"Maybe there is a cure mentioned in them, Ruff," I said, placing my head in my hands. I hadn't been feeling well as of late either, but I wasn't going to worry Hiccup.

"Okay, guys, real question time. Can chickens catch this disease? I need to know for personal reasons," Tuff said. He picked up his beloved pet chicken and stroked its feathers. Everyone ignored his question, including Ruffnut.

"Okay, Fishlegs and Heather, you two look through the dragon eye and the book of dragons. Twins, you both go find Gothi and bring her back here. Astrid and I will go and check on the villagers who are ill. Snotlout, you can go be with your wife and son," Hiccup instructed.

Both Willow and the baby Spikelout had contracted the disease that we were calling the Quakes. The disease caused the victims to get a fever so high they would shiver and quake violently. So far ten vikings had moved on to Odin's gates because of this new illness.

Everyone set to work on what Hiccup had told them to do.

Dagur walked over to us. "Hey, brother, what would you like me to do?" he asked.

"Can you run everything that doesn't have to do with the Quakes today? I need to put all my focus on the sick vikings," Hiccup explained. Dagur was his second in command.

"Sure thing, Chief!" Dagur said, walking out toward the docks to check on the fish inventory of the day.

Hiccup and I walked to the infirmary hand in hand. Valka and Gobber were hard at work there. Eret was there as well, helping as best as he could.

"Mom, how are they?" Hiccup asked as soon as he saw Valka.

She frowned and stood, walking away from the patient she had been attending. "It isn't looking good, son…" she whispered.

"I have Heather and Fishlegs searching the dragon eye and the book of dragons. And the twins are out searching for Gothi," the young chief said as reassuring as he could. I could tell he was scared, so I slipped my hand into his to give him at least a little comfort. He squeezed my hand tight.

Gobber walked over and started a conversation with Hiccup and Valka. I didn't hear it though. Everything started to become blurry and I could feel sweat dripping down my forehead. "H-hiccup…" I whispered. I saw him look back at me, fear in his eyes as I blacked out.

The next thing I remember was waking up in an infirmary bed, with nothing on but a pair of underwear and my chest bindings. A thin sheet was over me and somebody was wiping my forehead with a cold rag. Cold… no, no more cold. I was already freezing. I groaned and started to shiver violently, attempting to hit the rag away so that it wouldn't add any more cold. Slowly my eyes cleared and I could tell that Valka had been the one who put the rag on my forehead. My hand was being held by somebody else's, I noticed. I glanced to the other side of me and saw my husband holding my hand between both of his. He looked like he hadn't slept for days.

''Hiccup…" I groaned, my voice raspy and dry. My body continued to shake.

"You'll be okay. Don't worry. The twins found Gothi and she is helping Heather and Fishlegs. They'll find a cure," he said, almost like he was reassuring himself. My eyes couldn't stay open any longer. I was consumed by darkness, once again.

**_*present*_ **

"Well, how did they cure you, mom?" Zephyr asked. The dress had been set aside because according to her, the story was far too interesting at the moment to be distracted by a dress.

"I was out for the majority of the time they were searching. Gothi had never seen anything like it before, but Fishlegs found something in the dragon eye. He had the grand idea to see if those glowing vine flowers by the cove would activate the dragon eye. The glow from the flowers allowed them to discover that there is a whole part of the dragon eye we had not seen yet. There are notes for medicinal plants. They found one that could cure The Quakes. Actually, it was one of those pale blue flowers you used to pick when you were young. We had always thought those were just there to be pretty, but they do serve a purpose. Everyone was able to be cured. No more vikings were lost," I explained.

"If Spike and I were in a situation like that, I would be so scared of losing him," she said softly.

"You're father was probably the most scared he has ever been. Or at least that is what he has told me," I said.

"Tell me more mom," my daughter said enthusiastically.

"Once everyone who had fallen ill had taken some of the medicine made from the flowers, they were all able to go home…


	5. How to Keep a Secret

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Be sure to go read the previous chapter! I added two chapters again. The lengths fluctuate so I'll probably be posting two chapters at a time.

How to Keep a Secret… When You Probably Shouldn't

"Really, Hiccup, I am fine. I can walk upstairs by myself. You don't have to carry me," I said, my arms around his neck as he took shaky steps up the stairs to our bedroom.

"No, mom said nothing but rest for you for at least a week," he reminded me.

"But Hiccup, I hate being stuck inside like this! Can I at least sit outside? I promise I'll just sit!" I pleaded.

The chief shook his head. "No. Sorry, babe, but you are staying inside. Maybe I am being paranoid, but I would much rather be overly cautious than not cautious enough and risk you falling ill again.

I groaned in frustration. Being stuck inside was not something I enjoyed, but I also did not enjoy it when Hiccup worried about me.

"Two days. I will stay here for two days, no more than that. Then I will be going to the cove to practice throwing my ax so that I can kill you later," I told him.

"As you wish milady!" Hiccup said happily, glad he had somewhat won that argument.

My loving husband tucked me into bed and kissed my cheek. He moved to leave the room, but I grabbed his arm.

"Stay with me?" I asked quietly. Hiccup smiled and got in bed next to me, holding me in his arms. I had missed being this close to him. I felt something wet at the top of my head and looked up to see my husband quickly wiping his eyes.

"Hiccup…" I whispered, cupping his face with my hand.

"Sorry, Astrid. I just thought I was going to lose you. You were so sick and you wouldn't wake up. I don't think I have ever been so scared in my life, and I have faced some terrifying dragons before..." He sniffed and wiped his eyes again.

Tilting my head up a little, I gently pressed my lips to his. We both relaxed into the kiss, our bodies melting together. He rested one hand on my waist and the other was tracing shapes on the bare skin of my back. We hadn't been this close since before I had gotten sick and we both had really missed it. Hiccup sighed and rested his head on my chest. I just breathed in the smell of his hair. It was just so, I don't know, Hiccupy. It made me want to be closer to him.

"Astrid…" he whispered. I looked down at him and saw his eyes had darkened with lust.

_ "Mom, I do not want to hear this. I'll go make us some lunch," Zephyr said as she got up and went to the kitchen. _

_ I laughed. Soon Zephyr came back with lunch. _

_ "I am going to skip what happened next, just for you, baby." I chuckled as Zephyr looked up from the plate of sandwiches she was carrying, relief in her eyes. _

Almost an hour later Hiccup and I were cuddling, holding each other as close as we could. Little did we know that together we had just made something that would change our lives forever.

**_*present day*_ **

After a delicious lunch of mutton sandwiches, Zephyr and I were back to working on the dress. I began the sleeves while the bride to be worked on the waist.

"So, that was when I was made?" she asked.

"Darling I wish it had been you. Sadly, it was not," I said. My heart hurt from the memories.

"Mom, what do you mean? I am the oldest Haddock child," Zephyr said, a look of confusion on her face.

"Well yes, baby, but you had an older sibling…" I said quietly.

Zephyr's eyes softened. "W-what happened to it, mom?" She asked worriedly.

**_*twenty-two years earlier*_ **

Two days of bedrest really did the trick. By the next week, I was out and about as if I had never been sick. A week after the day Hiccup and I had had sex, Heather and I were in the market. I was shopping for some grains and yak chops for dinner. We walked past the eel stand and the strangest thing happened. My stomach churned and I quickly covered my mouth with my hand. The smell of the eels was nauseating.

"Astrid, are you okay?" Heather asked worriedly.

I looked around frantically for a place out of sight. There was a small hut next to me with a bush beside it. It was hidden from view. I quickly ran over to it before emptying the contents of my stomach. Heather was immediately by my side and held my hair up, rubbing my back soothingly. When I finished throwing up, she helped me walk to the stream behind the market to clean myself up. She pulled a rag from her basket and soaked it with stream water before gently holding it to my face to cool me off.

"Thanks, Heather," I said weakly.

She nodded. "Of course, Astrid. But, what made you sick?"

I had been hoping she wouldn't ask. Looking down at my boots I quietly said, "the smell of the eel stand…"

Heather's eyes widened. "Why on earth did that make you sick? We walk past that stand every day. I am going to go get Hiccup. You might be sick again." she turned to go but I grabbed her arm.

"Don't get Hiccup," I said quickly.

"Why? What's wrong?" Heather asked.

I sighed and put my face in my hands. "I think I am pregnant," I whispered. Heather gasped in delight.

"Oh, my gods! That is so great, Astrid! How long? When is the baby due? Wait, why don't you want to tell Hiccup?" she asked.

I laughed. "Heather you said all that in about two seconds. Slow down. I don't want Hiccup to worry," I explained.

"Well you will have to tell him eventually," she said.

My eyes went back down to my boots. I knew this, but what I did not know was how I was going to tell him. Hiccup would be beyond excited, that was for sure, but it would still be a conversation that needed planning. Heather and I went back to our shopping. There were a few more nausea scares, but nothing like the first time. She walked me back home when we were done.

"Tell Hiccup," she said gently, "he will be so excited Astrid!"

I nodded and said goodbye.

It had been almost two months. Two whole months and I hadn't told Hiccup yet. In all honesty, I was scared. If I told him, it would be real. I didn't think I was ready to be a mom yet. But I knew I had to tell him soon. I was sick a lot and he was starting to get suspicious, plus my middle had started to become a little more rounded.

I was sitting outside, planting flowers in front of our house with Fishlegs when the pain started. It wasn't too bad at first, just like the cramps that came with my cycle.

Eventually, they began growing more intense. I groaned and placed my hand over my belly with one particularly painful one. I didn't even think something could be wrong until Fishlegs looked up, panic in his eyes.

"Uh Astrid did you just start your cycle or…" he said in his high-pitched worry voice.

I looked down and noticed that my leggings were red with blood. That's when another wave a pain crashed over me. I nearly screamed, causing Fishlegs to rush over to me.

"Fishlegs," I groaned, "I am pregnant. G-get Valka and Hiccup. Please."

Fishlegs helped me stand up and took me to the front door before running off yelling for Hiccup and Valka. It took me several minutes to get inside because of how quickly the waves of pain were coming. Once I got inside my legs gave out and I fell to my knees, too weak to walk.

"Astrid!" I heard Hiccup yell behind me. He ran to me and picked me up gently. I was too weak to say anything I just looked up at him.

"Why didn't you tell me?" He whispered.

"There will be time for that later, for now, we need to just get prepared for a lot of blood," Valka said, quickly getting whatever towels and rags she could get her hands on. Hiccup carried me to our room and Valka laid towels across our bed before he put me down.

All I remember is the pain. Crazy pain. Like cycle cramps times a hundred. I vaguely remember Hiccup letting me squeeze his hand and sitting behind me in the bed, letting me lean back on him. Valka had removed my leggings and was removing anything that passed through, so mostly just blood.

When it was all over, I was incredibly weak from the loss of blood and from the pain I had endured. Hiccup was holding me close. It took a few minutes for me to realize what had happened. When I did though, I started sobbing into Hiccups chest. He held me close, not saying anything, just being there for me. I could tell he was crying too. Valka cleaned everything up for us, which Hiccup thanked her for. She said she'd be by the next morning to check on me.

After she left it was quiet except for the soft sounds of the two of us crying. Hiccup sniffed and pulled back a little so he could see my face. He gently placed his hands on either side of my face.

"Why didn't you tell me?" he whispered, his voice hoarse from crying.

"I don't know. I am so sorry, Hiccup. I just didn't know how to tell you," I said.

"Astrid you have to tell me stuff like this," he started, but I didn't let him finish.

"I know, babe. I promise I will tell you next time, okay? I am so sorry." I started crying again.

He sighed and held me close to him again, stroking my hair. "It's okay. We'll be okay…" he whispered soothingly. We stayed there for the rest of the day, not bothering to make dinner.

While he was holding me, I couldn't help but wonder what I had done wrong.

**_*present*_ **

My eyes were tearing up, and so were Zephyr's. "Mom, I had no idea…" she whispered.

I nodded, "I know, but I figured you were old enough to know now."

My sweet daughter got up and hugged me. I sighed, enjoying the feeling of holding my daughter in my arms. I didn't get to do that as often as I used to.

"Was I after that?" She asked curiously.

I chuckled and nodded. "Yes, baby. You were after that, but almost a year later. Fishlegs and Heather got married and had Mila, their daughter."

Zephyr smiled when she heard her best friend's name.

"And after Fishlegs and Heather had Mila, your father and I found out we were going to be having you…"

**_*twenty-one years earlier*_ **

"Are you feeling any better, milady?" Hiccup asked as he brought me a cup of water.

"I'm okay. I mean, throwing up whenever I smell fish is not fun," I groaned, standing up and letting Hiccup lead me inside.

"I feel fine now, babe," I said, "you should go back to work."

"But what if something happens to you?" he asked.

I laughed, "Hiccup nothing will happen. This time feels different from the last one. I'll be fine. And if something happens, I will let somebody know to get you."

The young chief smiled and stepped forward, pulling his wife into a deep kiss before turning to walk to the forge. Checking on Gobber was first on his to-do list.

**_*present*_ **

"What are my two beautiful ladies up to?" Hiccup said as he walked into the house. His beard had grayed before his hair, and his limp from the prosthetic had gotten slightly worse as he had gotten older, but other than that he was still the same Hiccup I had fallen in love with when we were teenagers.

I smiled at him and he leaned over the back of my chair to kiss me. Nuffink walked in behind him. My son had grown to be a wonderful young man. He had been working through chief training with his father, now that he was eighteen. Nuffink looked like a perfect mix of both me and my husband. He had a messy mop of blond hair and his father's shining green eyes. He has that same goofy grin Hiccup has and I absolutely adore it.

"Hi, baby. How was training?" I asked, reaching out for my son.

"Hi, mom. It was great today! I learned how to organize the fields with Grandma and Uncle Eret taught me how to work with the fishing boats and their crews," he said enthusiastically. He hugged me and went to sit next to Zephyr.

"Dad, we are almost done with my dress! Isn't it beautiful?" Zephyr asked, her blue eyes beaming up at her father. Hiccup and Nuffink were close, but Zephyr had a one of a kind relationship with her father. They were two peas in a pod.

"It is beautiful. You are going to look like a princess in this dress," Hiccup said, kissing Zephyr's cheek. She smiled and went back to work, adding more detail to the waistline.

"Mom has been telling me stories all day," Zephyr said.

"Oh, has she now?" Hiccup chuckled, "What stories?"

"She was just about to tell me about when she was pregnant with me. She said you hated leaving her alone here," Zephyr said.

"How about you take a turn, babe. I am going to start dinner. Nuffink, why don't you help me," I said.

"Okay, but fair warning, I am a much better storyteller than your mom," Hiccup whispered.

I laughed, "I heard that!"

Hiccup laughed as well. "So one day I was on my way to work after leaving your mom at home. After what had happened with the previous pregnancy, I hated leaving her alone…"


	6. How to Fight Without Dragons

How to Fight Without Dragons 

**_*twenty-three years earlier - Hiccup's Point Of View*_ **

"Hiccup, you got to relax, son. Astrid will be fine, I'm sure of it," Gobber said, his Scottish drawl coming out in full swing.

"I know, but I am just so worried about her. After what happened last time…" I leaned forward on my desk in the forge, resting my head in my hands.

"After what happened last time, Astrid is stronger. And she has said that this one feels different, right?" Gobber asked.

"Yeah…" I responded.

"Then there ya go, lad. She is fine. Everyone knows not to underestimate that lass of yours, she is a true warrior," Gobber reassured me, turning back to the forge and switching his hook hand for his hammer.

I sighed and turned back to my desk. My father's old office was in the Great Hall, but I never liked the office. I very much preferred the forge, where I had worked as a teenager. Random papers were scattered all over my desk. Some were letters from neighboring islands, some were inventory reports from my team, some were plans for new inventions, and some were drawings of my beautiful wife. I sighed and picked up a drawing of her. It was from the last time we had gone flying together. Her hair was blowing in the wind, a smile from ear to ear, her hands resting on Stormfly's saddle.

I missed the dragons. What I wouldn't give for Toothless or Stormfly to be here to stay home with Astrid. It would be a lot less stressful. But, I couldn't spend time thinking about the past, I had to focus on the now.

I picked up the first paper on my desk and noticed it was a letter from Outcast Island. I quickly read through Alvin's handwriting.

"Gobber! Get the ships ready!" I yelled.

"What for, chief?" he asked, setting aside the shield he had been working on.

"Outcast Island is in trouble. We have to go help," I explained. "I will let Dagur know. You gather all the weapons and shields you can find. If you see Eret, tell him to gather the men!" I yelled over my shoulder as I ran towards the Great Hall. That was usually where Dagur did his work.

"Dagur!" I yelled as I ran into the hall. Some vikings who were eating looked up, but I just ran past them to the table in the back where my second in command was eating his lunch.

"What is it, brother?" Dagur asked, looking up from his food.

"Alvin sent a letter. Outcast Island is under attack," I explained hurriedly.

"What? By who?" Dagur asked, putting his lunch down.

I groaned and shook my head. "You aren't going to believe this…so much for trying to relax," I muttered.

"They are being attacked by a group of dragon riders."

"What? But how? All the dragons are in the hidden world!" Dagur exclaimed.

"That's what I thought too, but apparently a few got captured," I said sadly, "I have to go tell Astrid what's going on. Get the ships ready, please. Let the twins, Fishlegs, your sister, and Snotlout know what's going on."

I ran out of the hall and up the hill to mine and Astrid's house.

"Astrid!"

"Hiccup, what's wrong?" Astrid yelled, stepping out the front door. I quickly explained what was happening. As soon as I finished Astrid ran inside and started putting together her armor and got her ax.

"Uh, babe, what are you doing?" I asked, watching her scramble around the house.

"I am going with you," she said.

"Haha no, you are not. You are staying here. I can't risk you and our child, Astrid," I said, pushing her ax down.

"And I can't let you go and risk my child not having a father!" she yelled, lifting her ax back up.

"Astrid…"

"Hiccup, I can't. I can't lose you. They have dragons, Hiccup. We can't compete with that. We haven't even been around dragons in almost three years!" She argued.

"Oh, I know that. Trust me, I know. But, Astrid, they didn't call me the dragon master for nothing, I know I can do this. I just can't have you there. All I would do is worry about your safety," I said calmly, taking the ax and setting it on the floor. I slid one arm around her waist and placed my other hand on her slowly growing belly.

"I need you both to stay here, where it is safe."

"But I need you to be safe too, Hiccup…" she whispered.

I sighed and kissed her, pulling her close to me.

"I love you. And I will come back," I promised.

Astrid helped me gather my old night fury armor. I remembered to grab my flight suit, just in case. Inferno had long since been retired, due to lack of Monstrous Nightmare gel and Zippleback Gas, but Gobber had made me a new sword for my birthday.

"Mom said she would come to stay with you until I get back," I told Astrid. She just nodded quietly.

I kissed my wife goodbye, then I went down to the docks to board the ships that were being loaded up.

**_*present*_ **

"Wait, you left mom?" Nuffink asked, shocked that his father had actually left. He had never seen his parents go more than a few days apart, and that was only when the viking chiefs were gathering.

"I had to, son. Outcast Island was in trouble," Hiccup said.

"I mean, I am still mad at him for leaving me to worry the entire time," I said, gently punching his arm.

Nuffink and I set the food out on the dinner table. We all sat down to eat together as a family.

"What did you do when dad left, mom?" Nuffink asked.

"Well at first I felt I would cry because I was a hormonal, pregnant mess, but then I figured, what good would crying do? There was still work to be done in the village. Your grandmother and I were in charge while the warriors were gone," I responded.

"Woah, mom, you were chief?" Zephyr asked, eyes filled with wonder.

I laughed, "I have been chief many times. This wasn't the only time your father and Uncle Dagur were both gone."

"So, what happened next dad?" Zephyr asked. Nuffink took a bite of his yak chop and nodded in agreement with his sister.

Hiccup chuckled, "okay well it was me, Dagur, Eret, Fishlegs, Snotlout, Ruff and Tuff, Heather, and about one hundred viking warriors…"

**_*twenty-one years earlier*_ **

"Chief, we are about two hours out of the island," Bucket announced.

I thanked him and used my telescope to see the island on the horizon.

"Dagur, come have a look at this," I said, handing him the telescope.

"Oh wow, they do have dragons. But what kind are they?" he asked.

"Hard to tell from this far away, but they appear to be a mix. I believe there is a Singetail in the group, and what appears to be a Catastrophic Quaken," I said, taking another look through the telescope.

"How did they train them?" Dagur asked.

"My bet is they didn't," I said sadly.

About an hour later we had everyone on the ships prepare their arrows. Everyone had been instructed to only shoot for the riders, not the dragons, if possible. I put my Night Fury helmet on and opened up the flight suit.

"Dagur you command the ships, I am going to get a closer look," I said, walking up to the bow of the ship. Dagur nodded and I jumped off, letting the wind keep me aloft. I glided over to the island, running up to the central building. There I found Alvin and a few of his men.

"Hiccup! I am glad to see you," Alvin said.

"How long has this been going on?" I asked.

"Four days, chief Hiccup. My men can't take much more. We are nearly down to a quarter of the men we started with. Most wounded, but some have passed on through Odin's gates," Alvin said, eyes downcast in respect for his fallen warriors.

"Have you noticed anything about the riders? Are they targeting a specific area or looking for something?" I asked.

"I am afraid I do not know the answer to that. But there is something about the leader that I have noticed," Alvin said.

"What's that?" I asked, detecting worry in Alvin's voice.

"The leader, well, he rides a Night Fury."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please leave some comments if you enjoy this! They really get me motivated!


	7. How to Search for Family Members

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry I haven't updated in a few days! This week was finals week, but I am finally done with my semester so I will be able to start posting again!

How to Search For Family Members

I nearly fell over when Alvin said what kind of dragon the leader was riding. I quickly pulled out my telescope and searched the sky for the leader.

"Oh, my gods…" I whispered when I found him. I recognized the dragon immediately.

"Toothless…"

"Is it the one that belonged to you, Hiccup?" Alvin asked.

I nodded silently. "We have to stop them," I said, "I just have to figure out how."

That's when the warriors on the ships began firing their arrows.

"I have to stop them!" I yelled and started running back to the ships.

As soon as I got close enough I started yelling. "Dagur! Dagur stop!"

The dragons and riders began attacking the ships. I ran onto the ship and began waving our white flag, hoping they would stop the attack and land to talk.

"Hiccup what are you…?" Dagur asked, but then the dragons landed, the leader right in front of us. There was my best friend, my Night Fury, Toothless. He had a chain around his neck and through his mouth. I had not seen him in almost three years. I could tell he knew who I was. He looked miserable. The person riding him jumped down, a red cloak covering their entire body and shielding their face. I lunged suddenly and shoved the rider as soon as whoever it was jumped off my dragon.

"Who are you and how did you get my dragon?" I asked, holding the tip of my sword up to the rider's neck.

"Hiccup Haddock, it has been a long time. Last I saw you, you were only a baby," the cloaked figure said.

"Who are you?" I asked, my eyebrows scrunched in confusion. 

The person slowly pulled their hood back to reveal long red hair that cascaded down her back. Her eyes were dark grey and very serious. They looked so familiar.

"My brother always said you'd grow to be a handsome and strong young man, but I never believed him because of how small you were," she said.

"Brother? Who are you?" I asked again, lowering my sword slightly.

"Oh, Hiccup, I am Sylvia, Stoick's sister."

* * *

**_*present*_ **

"Wait, grandpa Stoick had a sister?" Zephyr asked, her eyes widening.

"Yes, he did," Hiccup responded.

"Well, are you going to tell us more?" Nuffink asked.

"Kids, be patient. Your father has been talking all night, let him eat. Now, Zephyr you go clean up the kitchen. Nuffink, baby, can you go get a fire started in the hearth? Oh and somebody check on Eira," I instructed. The kids went to do the chores I had asked them to do and I sat next to my husband. He smiled at me after taking another bite of his dinner.

"Hello milady, nice to finally get a few moments alone with you," he said.

"Yes, it is nice isn't it?" I laughed and leaned in to kiss his cheek.

"I think you missed," Hiccup said, a smirk playing across his lips.

"Did I?" I asked playfully.

We kissed, Hiccup's hand going to the back of my neck to pull me closer.

"Hey, mom?" Nuffink walked into the dining area from the front room. Hiccup and I broke apart quickly.

"Yes, baby?" I asked.

"Where is Eira?" he asked.

"Is she not in her room? She wasn't feeling well earlier so I sent her to bed," I said, getting up.

"Nope, her window is open though," Zephyr said as she walked down the stairs.

"Hiccup…." I groaned.

"Nuffink you go search for her in the cove, Zephyr you check grandma's, Astrid, you stay here in case she comes home," the chief said, putting his cloak on.

"I'll go look for her in the village," He said, walking out the front door and down the path to the middle of town.

I sat down and chuckled to myself once the house was empty.

"Oh let's have a kid, oh let's have another kid, the village needs heirs," I mimicked my husband's voice, "Hey, we are good at this parenting thing, let's have one more kid…" I rolled my eyes. The headaches this last one has caused me….

Soon my two oldest children came inside from the cold and removed their boots and coats.

"Did you find her?" I asked. They both shook their heads. I sighed, "Okay well I am going to go looking now…" I said, putting my boots on and grabbing my cloak. I was just about to open the door when Hiccup walked in, my youngest child in tow. My pregnancy with her had been half planned half surprise. She was only thirteen, almost fourteen, much younger than the other two. I crossed my arms over my chest as my daughter blew her blonde bangs out of her big blue eyes. She was practically a clone of myself. She looked exactly like me. She also had a fighting spirit and the stubbornness of a HotBurple taking a nap.

"And just where have you been, young lady? You told me you were sick," I said, placing my hands on her shoulders and gently pushing her into the living room by the hearth so she could warm up.

"Eira we have talked about sneaking out through the window…" Hiccup said sternly.

"Y'all never said I couldn't climb out my window. You just said I couldn't sneak out of the doors, remember?" the young girl sassed as she plopped down on a stool by the fire, holding her hands out to the warm flames. I groaned and brought my hand to my forehead, rubbing my head like I had a headache, which I did.

"Eira were you with Buffnut again?" Hiccup asked, a hint of anger coming up into his voice.

"What does it matter to you? I love him!" she retorted.

"Eira you are far too young to be in a relationship like that!" Hiccup nearly yelled. This caused Eira's fiery temper to stir.

"Well, how old were you when you and mom started dating? And you let Zephyr and Nuffink date!" she yelled.

"Your mother and I didn't start officially dating until we were about seventeen, same as Zephyr and Spikelout, and Nuffink and Ragnhild. They waited until they felt they were mature enough to handle a serious relationship, just like your mother and I did," Hiccup explained, using his other children's significant others as examples. Ragnhild was Heather and Fishlegs' other daughter. She was exactly three days younger than Nuffink and was a lot like her father, while her sister was nearly exactly like her mother. The funny thing was, Mila looked like Fishlegs, and Ragnhild looked like Heather.

"I am mature enough to handle a serious relationship," Eira grumbled.

"Okay, Eira, go eat dinner and then straight to bed. I am going to lock your window tonight. Hiccup, you relax and have a seat. Finish telling Zephyr and Nuffink the story," I instructed with a sigh.

Eira's facial expression perked up. "A story? Can I stay and listen? Please?" she asked. I sighed and nodded my head. "Yes, you may, but you are staying home and doing housework tomorrow, understand?" I asked. My youngest nodded enthusiastically and went to sit at her father's feet with her older siblings.

"Okay, now where were we?" Hiccup asked the children.

"Grandpa's sister," Zephyr reminded him.

"Ah, yes! Okay, so I had just discovered that the mysterious woman who was riding my dragon was actually my aunt…"


	8. How to Let Go... Again

How to Let Go... Again 

**_*twenty-one years earlier, Hiccup's Point Of View*_ **

"No, my father didn't have any siblings," I said, holding the sword back up to her neck. Toothless whined from behind her. I wasn't actually going to harm her, just scare her a bit.

"On the contrary, young chief, your father and I grew up together," Sylvia said calmly.

"Then why did he never mention you?" I asked.

"Probably because he banished me from Berk. Forced me to leave my homeland and wander for years with no place to call my own!" she hissed.

I shook my head. "No, I still don't believe you," I said, quieter now, "And you probably shouldn't have landed, you have nowhere to run now…" I whispered. Dagur came forward and cuffed her hands.

"Hiccup Haddock you tricked me! You are just like my brother!" she yelled.

"Thank you. If I become half the man my father was, then I can die a happy viking," I said, leading her down below deck.

Once we had reached the captain's quarters I had her take a seat. Dagur and I sat across from her while Heather and Fishlegs guarded the door. Ruff, Tuff, and Snotlout all took care of the rest of the flyers, putting them in a cell below deck, away from the dragons.

"Why were you attacking Outcast Island?" I asked.

"Oh, I would have thought you were smarter than this, nephew. I was merely looking for you, I have been for a while now. I heard that you and the Outcasts were allies and figured you would come out of hiding if I attacked there," Sylvia explained.

"Then why not attack Berk?" Dagur asked.

"Because my sorry excuse for a brother banished me from ever stepping foot on Berk ever again. If I go back it would be breaking my word in a way, and I never go back on my word,"

"How did you get the dragons?" I asked, "How did you get my dragon?"

"Quite simple, really. Your dragon, the night fury, and his mate were flying too close to the top of the waterfall surrounding their little safe haven. It was easy to sneak up and catch him with a net. When other dragons came up to save him, we did the same with them," She started looking around at the maps on the walls.

"Did you draw these?" she asked, "you are quite talented."

I ignored her compliment. "The dragons will be set free. They do not belong here anymore. They are not safe. They belong in the hidden world," I said, walking over to Fishlegs.

"Go free the dragons," I instructed.

"Do you want to say goodbye to Toothless?" Fishlegs asked gently.

I shut my eyes tight. "Yeah, I do. Give the other dragons fish and water. I'll take care of my dragon. Dagur, lock her up," I said, pointing to Sylvia before walking out of the room.

There he was, my best friend. I slowly walked out on the deck of the ship.

"Hey there, bud. You remember me?" I asked calmly, holding my hand out to him.

Toothless growled but slowly moved his head forward to smell my hand. His eyes immediately softened and he jumped at me, licking my face excitedly.

"Hey, Toothless! Yeah, I missed you too, bud!" I said, hugging him. Once he calmed down he and I sat next to each other. He carefully sniffed at the beard that was starting to grow on my chin.

"You like that, bud?" I laughed. Toothless laughed too.

"So, Astrid and I got married," I told him, "and we are going to have a baby now."

Toothless purred and looked up at me.

"You know, like an, uh, a hatchling! Yeah, Astrid and I mated and are going to have a hatchling," I explained. My dragon seemed to understand that because he jumped up excitedly and started bouncing around the ship. I laughed as I watched him. I had really missed him.

"How are the others? Stormfly, Hookfang, Meatlug, and Barf and Belch? Are they good?" I asked. The night fury purred happily as if to say yes.

"That's good bud. I know you are a good king for them," I said, scratching his ears.

"Hey, chief, the dragons have to go now," Dagur said from the doorway. I turned and nodded.

"Okay, bud. It's time for you to go…" I said sadly. Toothless purred sadly and moved his head forward so I could hug him one last time before he roared, calling the other dragons. They took off and then in about ten minutes they were out of sight. It wasn't until I was below deck and out of sight that I let the tears fall.

When we reached Death Song Island all the captives were brought up to the deck, including my alleged aunt.

"Drop them off here…" I ordered. Then I pointed at Sylvia and said, "All but her. She is going with us to Berk."

The other riders were dropped off. Death Song Island had become almost like a jail for us Berkians. Because of its location, and because all the dragons were gone, anybody dropped off there would remain there until they could build a boat sturdy enough to hold themselves. Usually, by then any war they had taken part in or any trouble they had caused was over.

"Hiccup, Stoick banished me, remember?" Sylvia laughed nervously.

"Well I am the new chief and I am going to allow you to stay in our jail on Berk for the time being. At least until you tell me how you really got those dragons," I said, without turning to look at her.

"What are you talking about? I told you how we got them!" Sylvia said angrily.

"You told me how you want me to think you got them, which was a lie. I want the truth," I explained. Sylvia watched as her riders were let off the ship and onto the island. Then we started sailing back to Berk.

* * *

**_*present day*_ **

"Dad, did you really leave those dragon riders there?" Zephyr asked.

My husband nodded solemnly. "We did what we had to do," he said, "But I wasn't about to let my aunt get away. I wanted to ask her a few questions."

"Why isn't she still here?" Nuffink asked.

"Well, we will let your father explain that later. But for now, it is time for bed," I said, smiling at my kids' yawning faces.

Eira was already almost asleep. Nuffink stood and picked up his little sister. Zephyr kissed my husband and I goodnight and all three of the kids went upstairs to their room. They all three shared a room that was once the attic. Hiccup fixed it up and they all love sharing the room. I walked over to my husband, who was starting to fall asleep in his chair.

"Come on babe," I laughed, taking his hand in mine. He smiled at me and we walked upstairs together.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A long time ago I had an Instagram account called pjo_percabethfanfics. I had a few fanfictions on there from the Percy Jackson fandom. Should I post them on here? Comment what y'all think.


	9. How to Get Your Aunt to Talk Part 1

How to Get Your Aunt to Talk Part 1

**_*Astrid’s POV*_ **

I woke up early to make breakfast for everyone. Eira was the first one to get up. She walked down the stairs sleepily, rubbing her eyes and yawning.

"Good morning beautiful," I said, smiling at her. Eira's hair was all over the place - major bedhead. I set a plate of eggs down in front of her.

"Thanks," Eira grumbled. She slowly started eating her eggs. I set plates down at each of the other places at the table. Hiccup was the next one up.

"Good morning milady," he said, kissing my cheek. He was always bright and cheery in the mornings. He is not as much of a morning person as I am, but he was still more of a morning person than our youngest.

Nuffink trudged down the stairs but perked up when he saw the eggs on the table. Most of his motivation came from the promise of food.

"Oh wow! Zephyr, mom made breakfast!" he yelled up the stairs. He sat down and started eating eagerly.

"Nuffink, you weren't kidding!" Zephyr said, quickly walking down the stairs while tying the end of her auburn braid. I looked at my family, my jaw dropped in feigned hurt.

"Do I really cook breakfast so rarely that you are all so excited when I do?"

My entire family nodded in agreement.

"Wow, thank you, my dear family," I laughed. I sat down with them and started eating my breakfast as well.

"So, dad, what happened with our grand-aunt?" Nuffink asked.

"Okay, I will tell you guys a little bit more of the story, but first we are going over our goals of the day," Hiccup said.

"Mom, Spike, and I are going to clean up the clearing by the Great Hall for the wedding," Zephyr said, standing to clear her plate.

"We are checking in with Gobber, right dad?" Nuffink asked. Hiccup smiled and nodded.

"And I am staying here all day!" Eira said excitedly.

"Haha no, you are not," I said, "you are helping grandma get the seeds ready for planting."

Eira groaned dramatically and walked over to the washbasin in the kitchen to clean off her plate, dragging her feet with each step.

"Okay, you kids ready for me to keep going?" Hiccup asked.

All three kids nodded excitedly.

Hiccup chuckled, "okay, so we had just left Sylvia in the village jail and I was so excited to get home to see Astrid. Because the trip had happened to fall into the storm season, I had been gone for almost three months…."

**_*twenty-one years earlier*_ **

"Well my Thor," Gobber said, "is that you, Sylvia? Haven't seen you since…"

"Since my brother banished me? Yes, I know. You are as hideous as ever. And you've lost your hand," Sylvia hissed from behind the bars in her cell. She glanced down Gobber’s body. “And your leg…” she muttered.

"So she really is my father's sister?" I asked.

"Aye, laddie, that she is," Gobber said, picking at his teeth with his hook. "And just so ya know, I rather like my hook," Gobber said to Sylvia.

It was then that Dagur walked in. "Go see your wife, brother. I'll watch the sinister auntie," he said.

"Thank you, I really need to see her," I said. I said goodbye to Gobber and started running up the path to my home.

"Astrid!" I yelled as I got closer. I saw the front door open and outran my beautiful wife.

I ran faster to meet her. When I finally reached her, I wrapped my arms around her and held her as close as I could. I buried my head in her hair and I felt her fingers running through mine.

"I missed you," I whispered. I pulled back to kiss her. She sighed into the kiss.

"I missed you too, Hiccup," she whispered.

It was then that I noticed she looked different.

"Oh my gods…" I said quietly as I placed my hand over her round belly.

Astrid laughed and put her hand over mine. "In just four more months we'll be parents, Hiccup," she said.

I sighed and walked into the house with her. "I missed so much, Astrid. I wanted to be here, to help you…."

"Hiccup, you had to save Outcast Island. You had to go. Speaking of the Outcasts, did you win?" she asked.

I rubbed the back of my neck and looked down. "Well, we saved Outcast Island, but some pretty crazy stuff went down…" I said.

"What kind of crazy stuff?" she asked curiously.

"The leader of the attackers was riding Toothless…" I said, my eyes tearing up slightly at the thought of my best friend. I sat down in front of the fireplace.

"What?" Astrid asked incredulously.

"It's true. And the leader was also a woman. And she uh, she is my father's sister," I said slowly, trying to process what I was telling her. Astrid gasped and sat down next to me.

"You're kidding, right? Your father never had a sister," she said, taking my hand in hers.

"Yeah, that's what I thought, but Gobber saw her and immediately recognized her," I explained.

Astrid rested her head on my shoulder. "It'll be okay," she said, "We'll figure this out together."

I kissed her forehead and wrapped my arm around her waist. We sat together until we started falling asleep. Then we walked up to our bedroom together.


	10. How to Get Your Aunt to Talk Part 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I just posted Part 1 so if you missed it, go back and read it!

How to Get Your Aunt to Talk Part 2 

**_*Astrid's Point of View*_ **

The next morning we quickly got dressed and went to check on Sylvia. When we got close enough to the jail that I could see her, I immediately saw the family resemblance. She had the same hair and eye color as Stoick. She had broad shoulders and looked to be quite strong, much like her brother. She gave us a sinister smirk as we walked closer. I placed my hand over my baby bump protectively as I quickly got a sense of distrust for the woman in the cell.

"Ah, there's my nephew. And I assume you are his wife. Hiccup, you didn't tell me you had a little one on the way," she said, reaching out to touch my belly. Hiccup hit her hand away before she could touch me.

"You will not lay a finger on her," he said sternly.

"Oh, come now, I am not going to harm your wife or your child, nephew," she chuckled and sat down in the middle of the cell. She had taken her hair out of the old braid and had redone it so it was neater and more in place. Her cloak, which was a shimmering red color, was in the back corner of the cell. The material looked familiar, but I couldn't place it.

"Are you going to talk now?" Hiccup asked her.

"I will tell you anything you want to know, nephew. Ask any question you want," she said.

"Why were you looking for me?" he asked.

"Do I need to have a reason to look for the nephew that I have not seen in twenty-five years?" she asked. Her voice was like poison ivy, soft and smooth when the words first came in contact with your ears but they left behind a stinging feeling when she finished talking.

"If my father banished you, he had to have had a good reason. So no, you can not just want to find me. You have a reason," Hiccup said through gritted teeth.

"Oh, nephew, why do you distrust me so? I was only banished because I was stronger than your father. He and I were in dragon training together and I was always the stronger sibling. I saw an opportunity with dragons that your father was too scared to try," she said. She stood and walked over to the bars on the walls of the cells. "What else do you want to know, nephew?"

"How did you get the dragons?" I asked, stepping in front of my husband to face the snake behind the bars.

"Astrid…" Hiccup said softly, reaching for my arm.

"So that is your name! Astrid…. Such a lovely name," Sylvia said, "I always liked that name. Have you chosen a name for the little one yet?"

"That is none of your concern," I told her, "I want to know how you got Toothless? How did you get my husband's dragon?"

"As I said before, he was above the waterfall. I am not sure why, but he was easy to catch. My crew used a dragon-proof net. Once we had him many others followed," she said calmly.

"How did you know where the waterfall was?" Hiccup asked. My husband looked worried, which was understandable. If people knew where the hidden world was, the dragons could be in danger.

"I just stumbled across it while sailing one day," Sylvia said, sighing and sitting back down, leaning against the wall of the cell.

Hiccup groaned in frustration. I knew he didn't like vague answers and that is all she was giving.

"When am I going to see my dear brother anyway? I bet he is enjoying retirement," Sylvia said.

Hiccup clenched his fists and turned to her. "He is dead," he said simply. This surprised Sylvia and she remained quiet.

"Come on, babe, let's leave her for a few minutes and talk to Gobber. Maybe he knows more about why she was banished," I said, taking his hand in mine.

I walked with him to the forge, leaving two guards to watch Sylvia. We got to the forge and Hiccup walked right past Gobber and into his office.

"What's wrong with your lad, Astrid?" Gobber asked.

"Family trouble," I said, slowly sitting down on the bench next to where Gobber was working.

"Oh, you talked to Sylvia, eh?" He asked, pausing his hammering to sit next to me.

I nodded. "Gobber, what really happened between her and Stoick? Why was she banished?" I asked.

"Well, lass, you see, she was always a bit stronger than Stoick. She was also better in dragon training. When Stoick became chief they mostly did the job together. They were inseparable. But one day after a particularly hard blow from the dragons, half the village had gone up in flames, they had different opinions on what to do about it. Stoick just wanted to rebuild and make sure his people were safe. Sylvia, on the other hand, wanted to trap the dragons and force them to be their weapons against other dragons. She even went so far as to suggest using the captured dragons to defeat all their enemies and even some surrounding islands that were allies to them. She also did not care if people died. The lass wanted bloodshed. Stoick couldn't allow it. His duty was to keep people safe, and he wasn't about to turn on their allies. Sylvia got angry at Stoick for not seeing her reasoning. She stormed out of the Great Hall, and I mean stormed. She was fuming. Valka and I were in the hall with them, I saw and heard it all. We didn't see her for a few days, but when she came back, she came back with a Skrill. She took it to the middle of town and started recruiting people to join her in overthrowing every other tribe. When Stoick heard what she was doing he ran to the center of town and lawfully banished her. Some townsfolk went with her, but we haven't seen or heard from her until now. My bet is she heard that her nephew was a kind of dragon master and wanted him to help her in her quest of conquest," Gobber explained. I was shocked. It sounded a lot like what Drago had wanted.

Gobber and I looked up when we heard a crash from the other side of Hiccup's door.

"Go check on him, lass," Gobber said, standing to continue working on the ax he was fixing.

I slowly opened the office door. "Hiccup?" I said quietly. Papers were scattered all across the floor. He was leaning on his desk, his palms flat against the top and his head down.

I rushed over to him and hugged him from behind, my head resting on his back and my arms tightly wrapped around his waist.

It didn't take long for him to turn around and wrap his arms around me. He leaned back on his desk so he was half sitting on it.

"I love you," I whispered.

He tilted my head up and kissed me softly. "I heard what Gobber said," he whispered.

"You did?" I asked.

He nodded and said, "I want to talk to her again."

"If that's what you want," I said.

He hugged me closer. "But in a few minutes…"

**_*present*_ **

"Wow, so she wanted to use the dragons for power?" Zephyr asked.

"Yes, sweetheart," Hiccup responded.

Before any more questions could be asked, I walked over. "Okay Haddock family, we all have things we need to do today. Let's go!" I reminded them. My family all got up and started putting their boots and furs on.

Eira was the first to finish. She was out the door and on her way to Valka's in no time. Hiccup kissed me goodbye and he and Nuffink started walking to the forge to see what was on the to-do list today.

"You ready, baby?" I asked my oldest child. She smiled at me and nodded. We walked out of the house and down the path to the Great Hall. Spikelout was already there waiting for us. Zephyr ran to meet him. I smiled and watched as Spike hugged and kissed my daughter. They really were a good match, even if he was a Jorgenson.

“Good morning Aunt Astrid," he said. I smiled. All of us former dragon riders had taught our kids to call our friends Aunt or Uncle. So for my kids, it was Uncle Fishlegs or Aunt Ruff. Most of us enjoyed it. All but Snotlout. Most of the kids called him Uncle Snot, which the rest of us found quite humorous.

"You guys ready to clear this up?" I asked, observing the pasture next to the Great Hall. There was hay covering most of it that would have to be raked up and the stonework that was at the center needed to be cleaned. Spike and Zephyr picked up rakes and started working enthusiastically, talking the entire time. I set to work on the stonework.

I sighed as I remembered marrying Hiccup here. It overlooked the ocean and the stones had dragons carved into them. Gothi had performed our wedding ceremony, but sadly she had passed on to Valhalla a few years back. This meant that Hiccup would be performing the ceremony. He would have to work hard to keep from crying while marrying off his firstborn daughter. He knew that Zephyr was ready, but that doesn't mean he was ready. I liked to think I was ready, but deep down I knew I still thought of my daughter as the little girl who had stolen my heart the second she was born.

Looking back at the young couple behind me made me laugh. They had started throwing the hay at each other. They were chasing each other and laughing the entire time. Yes, my daughter was ready. I knew this, but I still wondered where the years had gone.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I made an Instagram account for my writing accounts on FFN and AO3! Go follow it to see when I post and for behind the scenes fun! @everafterwritings


	11. How to Lose Your Aunt

**How to Lose Your Aunt**

It was soon time to head home. Spike, Zephyr, and I had cleaned up the pasture and stonework quite nicely. I let Zephyr stay with Spike while I went to get Eira. The walk to Valka's house wasn't too long, even though her home was the furthest from town. After all those years on her own, she preferred to stay away from too much human interaction. When I got to the house I walked around back and found my daughter and Valka planting flowers in the backyard.

"Now these ones are good for if you have an itch from something like poison ivy or a bug bite," Valka explained, letting Eira see the soft pink flowers. My youngest really enjoyed learning about medicinal plants. Everyone in the village thought if she could get through the rebellious stage she would make a great medicine woman in place of Gothi. I thought she would too.

"Hi baby," I said as I got closer. Eira looked up at me and smiled.

"Hi, mom," she said, "grandma is teaching me about what plants can do to help us."

Valka smiled up at me. "She really does enjoy it," she said.

"I'm glad you're having fun, sweetheart, but it's time to go home," I reminded her.

Eira stood and wiped her dirty hands on her skirt. She said goodbye and thank you to her grandmother. We walked back home together.

When we walked inside we were hit with the delicious smell of fish.

"Oh hi, babe!" Hiccup said, walking over to kiss me. "I am making dinner."

"Oh, I love when you make dinner," I said, kissing him in return. Zephyr had already made it home.

"Dad, what happened with Sylvia?" Eira asked. I laughed at her enthusiasm.

"Yeah, I have been asking him to tell me all day, but he said I had to wait to hear it with you guys," Nuffink said.

Everyone sat down and all eyes went to Hiccup expectantly.

"Can't a man eat first?" he laughed.

All the kids kept their gaze on their father.

"I guess not," he sighed. "Okay, so your mother and I went back to Berk's jail to check on Sylvia…"

**_*twenty-one years earlier - Hiccup's point of view*_ **

Astrid held my hand tightly as we walked back to see the snake who was my aunt. We were about halfway there when the guards we had left with her ran up to us, panting and out of breath.

"What happened?" I asked.

"The lady, she just disappeared!" One of them said quickly.

"We came to tell you right after we searched the cell," the other said.

"Hiccup, her cloak! It's Changewing scales!" Astrid said quickly, "I knew I recognized it from somewhere!"

"Wait, you two went in the cell to search for her?" I asked.

Both guards nodded.

"And did you leave the door open?" I asked, slight anger in my voice.

They looked at each other then looked down at their feet.

I let out a frustrated yell and started running to the prison.

By the time I got there, it was too late. She was long gone. Astrid and the guards didn't run as fast as I had so I was at the prison alone for a few minutes.

"I was hoping to catch you alone, nephew…." a voice hissed behind me.

I turned quickly but saw nobody. "Changewing…" I whispered.

"You are quite smart. I have to admit, I was surprised when you didn't notice what my cloak was. And now that you know, the information won't do you any good," the invisible woman said.

Then I cried out as I felt a sharp pain in my side. My tunic turned red with blood and a dagger appeared in my side. I heard Sylvia laugh and run out of the cell. I fell to my knees, holding my hand over my wound.

"Hiccup!" Astrid yelled when she saw me. I felt the guards lift me up. Astrid never let go of my hand. When we got to town I vaguely remember her telling Dagur to put double the amount of guards on the ships as she briefly explained what happened. Then they took me to my mother's infirmary and everything went dark.

**_*present*_ **

"Dad, did you die?" Eira asked worriedly.

"Well, would I be here if I had?" Hiccup laughed. Eira smiled and giggled quietly.

"Mom, what happened when you got dad to the infirmary?" Nuffink asked.

"Well," I said, "I was so worried. He had lost a lot of blood. I was praying to the gods nonstop asking them to heal him. Zephyr, I am pretty sure you were worried too because you were jumping around and kicking inside me."

Zephyr smiled at me.

"So we brought your father in and grandma had us put him on one of the beds..."

**_*twenty-one years earlier - Astrid's Point of View*_ **

"What happened?" Valka asked worriedly when she saw her son.

"Sylvia escaped and stabbed him," I said quickly, helping the guards put my husband on one of the beds.

Valka started darting around, grabbing cotton and bandages. She also grabbed several different plants that I didn't recognize, but she said they would keep it from getting infected.

I held Hiccup's hand as Valka cleaned and bandaged the wound as gently as she could, but I could tell he was still in so much pain. He was partially unconscious and was groaning through gritted teeth.

"I know, babe. But don't worry, you'll be okay," I whispered to him. I ran my fingers through his hair and that helped him relax a little bit. When Valka finally finished he was asleep.

"It could have been a lot worse," she said quietly, "She didn't hit any vital organs as far as I can tell."

I sighed in relief and rested my head on the bed next to Hiccup.

"He'll wake up soon, just make sure he doesn't move too much. We don't want to open the stitches I put in," Valka said, resting her hand on my back for a few seconds to reassure me that she was here and that he would be okay.

"Can you go check on Dagur? That woman can not escape the island," I told her. Valka nodded and left the room to do as I had asked.

I turned back to my husband. His face had relaxed so I knew he wasn't in as much pain as he had been. I kissed his cheek softly and climbed onto the bed next to him, never wanting to let go.


	12. How to Come Back to Life

How to Come Back to Life

**_*Astrid's Point of View*_ **

Even though Hiccup's wound was healing properly, he hadn't woken up in three days. Dagur and the other guards were watching the ships around the clock and there was always a group walking the circumference of the island, but there were no signs of Sylvia.

Honestly, she was the least of my worries at the moment. My biggest worry was that my husband wasn't waking up. I spent all day every day by his side in the infirmary. I barely ate anything. It wasn't until Valka reminded me that I was eating for two that I started eating the food she would bring for me.

"Why isn't he waking up?" I asked, my voice choking from the tears that were threatening to spill from my eyes.

"I don't know, dear. The wound is healing nicely, so I do not think it is poison. Maybe he is scared to come back. Just talk to him, love. Let him hear your voice. Tell him how much you and your child need him," Valka suggested. She gently squeezed my shoulder and left for the night.

I looked back at my husband. His face was relaxed, so I knew he wasn't hurting. Maybe he was scared…. But of what? I sighed and held his hand in mine, bringing it up to my lips.

"Hey, my love. Look, I don't know why you won't wake up, but we really need you out here. Dagur is okay as temporary chief for a day or two, but we are going on four days now. We all miss you and we all need you," I whispered. I took a deep breath and continued, "Hiccup, I need you here. Our baby needs you. Please wake up for us… please. I can't live without you. Remember when I went blind? Do you remember what you said to me? You told me that no matter what happened we would get through it together. That it was Hiccup and Astrid forever. That there would always be a Hiccup and Astrid," a few tears were trailing down my face now, "Hiccup, I don't know why you won't wake up or if you are scared of something, but remember it is always going to be Hiccup and Astrid. Whatever is going on we can get through it together. But in order for there to be a 'we' you have to get better for me. There can't be a 'Hiccup and Astrid' without you, babe. I need you. I love you," finally the tears were falling too hard and I had to stop talking. I got up to wipe my eyes and splash water on my face.

I stepped outside and took a few deep breaths. I had needed the fresh air. Looking at the village at night was strange. It was rare that I was up this late nowadays. Nobody was out walking the streets, all the shops and stands were closed, all the lights were out, and there wasn't any smoke coming out of the forge chimney. It looked different, but it was still undoubtedly beautiful, and undoubtedly Berk. This was my village - our village. Hiccup loved it too much to just leave, I knew this. He loved me too much to just leave. Yes, my husband was a fighter. He was the strongest viking I knew. He would make it. I was sure of it now.

After taking one last look at the town I walked back inside the infirmary and went back to Hiccup. I sat beside the bed and sighed, rubbing my hand over my belly.

"I know little one. I am worried too," I whispered to the tiny being who was moving around inside me, "Don't worry. Your father is strong and he loves you so much. He would never miss out on the chance to meet you. He will tell you all about when he and I were young. You know, at first I didn't like him, but I guess he grew on me. If you're a little boy he will be able to train you to be chief. If you're a little girl, you will get to decide if you want to someday be chief or not. We'll just have to see…." I paused and looked out the window and up at the stars.

"Your daddy knows how to find so many shapes and pictures in the stars," I said, chuckling softly, "he tries to show them to me, but half the time I have to pretend I see them. But if you are anything like your father, which I truly hope you are, you'll be able to see them." I took a deep breath, continuing to gaze at the stars.

"Astrid?"

I gasped and looked over at my husband. His eyes were barely open, but he was awake. I started crying again and practically lunged at him, kissing him deeply. Hiccup laughed weakly.

"I missed you too, but um, do you really just pretend to see the constellations I show you?" he asked.

I laughed and wiped tears from my eyes. "How long were you listening?" I asked.

"I heard most of it," he said, putting his hand on my stomach.

"You really think I would miss the chance to listen to such a sweet conversation?" he asked, a smile playing on his lips. I rolled my eyes and kissed him again.

"You know," I whispered, "you really looked like you were dead while you were out."

"Well then I guess I came back from the dead, huh?" he teased.

I shook my head at my crazy, sweet, loving husband. I got up in the bed next to him. We stayed that way, looking out the window and up at the stars.

"So, do I need to point out the constellations again?" he asked. I just laughed and cuddled close to him, glad that he was going to be okay.

* * *

**_*present*_ **

"Well, I am glad you lived, dad," Nuffink said as he cleaned off his plate.

"Yeah otherwise it would just be mom and Zephyr," Eira said.

"What, you guys don't think your mom would have found another handsome viking to marry?" Hiccup teased.

I walked over and wrapped my arms around his shoulders. "You are the only viking for me," I said. He smiled and kissed me while Nuffink and Eira yelled, "Ewww do you have to do that here?"

Hiccup and I laughed and looked at our kids.

"For the record, I thought it was sweet," Zephyr said.

My husband and I smiled and he put his arm around my waist. "A man showing his wife how much he loves her isn't 'ew,' it is sweet," he said, kissing me again. Our two youngest kids rolled their eyes and went upstairs to get ready for bed. Nuffink's blond mop of hair bounced as he ran up the stairs. He made sure he was always a few steps ahead of his little sister, who was trying her best to keep up. Their older sister followed behind them when she had finished cleaning up the dinner table. She started unbraiding her hair as she walked up the stairs, letting it fall down to her waist.

"We made some pretty babies," I said, looking up at my husband.

"We could always make one more…" he said, kissing my neck.

"Oh, I really hope you are joking..." I groaned.

Hiccup laughed. "Don't worry, three is definitely enough," he assured me.

"Good… But, I mean, we don't have to actually make another one to have some fun…" I whispered. I slowly stood up and walked towards the stairs, swaying my hips a little extra. I glanced back at my husband as I started walking up to our bedroom. His eyes were wide and his mouth had dropped open. He quickly got up and ran up the stairs after me


	13. How to Grow Up

**How to Grow Up**

"So, dad, what happened with Sylvia?" Eira asked. We were all five working on patching up the roof, preparing for the rainy season.

"Um, actually, we never found her. None of the ships ever went missing, so we don't know if she is still on the island or if she made her own ship, but we haven't seen her in over two decades now," he said, hammering down part of the roof.

"Seriously? That's how you end the whole evil aunt part of the story?" Zephyr asked as she handed Nuffink some nails.

"Maybe someday we will have a better ending, but right now that is all we have," I said.

"So you just stopped sending out search parties for her?" Nuffink asked. Hiccup nodded in reply.

"Eventually it got to a point where we figured if we hadn't found her by then, we wouldn't' find her unless she wanted to be found. Plus we needed the men to start working elsewhere," he explained.

The kids sighed disappointedly. Even though Hiccup had pretty much accepted the ending of the story of his aunt, I knew it wasn't over yet. I just wasn't sure when or how it would end.

**_*later that day*_ **

"Okay, baby, I'm almost done!" I said excitedly, finishing up the last few stitches on the dress.

Zephyr ran over and watched as I finished off the thread and cut it. I held it up to her.

"You are going to look so beautiful," I told her.

My daughter was absolutely gorgeous. Her smile was ear to ear. "Can I try it on?" she asked.

I nodded and she ran upstairs to put it on.

I heard the front door open and turned to see my husband walking in. "Hey, babe. You're home early," I commented, walking over to give him a 'welcome home' kiss. He smiled brightly.

"Yeah, well, Nuffink said he could handle the last of our to-do list so I figured I would come see what my girls were up to," he said.

"Okay, well, Eira is out with her friends and Zephyr is upstairs. We finished the dress, Hiccup!" I said excitedly.

"Wait, she is trying it on right now?" he asked. I nodded.

"Mom? How does it look?" Zephyr asked quietly.

Hiccup and I both turned towards the stairs and saw our daughter standing at the bottom. The dress was beautiful. The fitted sleeves and bodice outlined her arms and body perfectly. The skirt was loose and lightly dragged on the floor, making it look as if she was walking on air. The intricate detailing was absolutely perfect. And my daughter had let her auburn hair out of its braid so that the waves were flowing down her back and over her shoulders. Tears filled both of our eyes as we took in the beautiful sight.

"Guys? Is it okay? Do we have to change something?" Zephyr asked worriedly.

"No, baby! Gods, you are so beautiful," I told her, walking over to hug her.

Hiccup followed and hugged her as well. He didn't say anything though.

"Dad, what's wrong?" Zephyr asked.

Hiccup chuckled nervously. "Uh, well, I guess I am just realizing that you are all grown up now. You aren't my baby girl anymore. You are a viking woman now and you're going to be a wife and eventually a mother and it's all hitting me at once…" he said, reaching out to tuck a stray lock of hair behind her ear. "You look beautiful, princess. Spike is definitely going to fall over when he sees you," Hiccup laughed, hugging her once more.

I smiled and wiped a few tears from my eyes as I watched my husband and our firstborn. Hiccup and I always knew that our kids would grow up and eventually get married and start families of their own, but it came so quickly… I guess we just weren't prepared, though I have no idea how you would prepare for something like this.

Zephyr laughed softly and wiped her father's eyes. "Don't worry dad. If you're a mess for my wedding, just wait and see mom at Nuffink's wedding," She laughed. Hiccup and I laughed too because it was true. And when it came to Eira, well we would both be a mess because she's our last one.

I looked at the smiling faces in front of me. I wanted to save that moment. I wanted to keep it forever.

"Hiccup, she used to be so tiny, what happened?" I teased.

"I know, do you remember all those diapers?" he asked.

"Dad!" Zephyr exclaimed, lightly punching his arm.

"Oh, I remember. I also remember you took the longest to birth. I was in labor for longer than a day," I said.

"Can you tell me about it?" Zephyr asked, almost shyly.

Hiccup and I looked at each other and smiled.

"Sure, sweetheart. It all started on the first day of Spring. I was about eight and a half months pregnant. Your father and I were outside with Fishlegs, Heather, Dagur, Snotlout and his wife Willow, and Ruff and Tuff. Every year on the first night of spring we would have a bonfire and would tell stories of our time on Dragon's Edge…"

_ ***twenty years ago, Astrid's point of view*** _

"That is so not how that happened, Snotlout!" Fishlegs said loudly, pointing the yak chop he had been eating towards the smaller viking.

"It is so! I was a hero!" Snotlout retorted.

"I don't know Snot, I am pretty sure that was one of the missions where you were screaming the entire time…" I laughed. My husband walked over and sat down next to me with his plate of food.

"Yeah, well, that Cavern Crasher was all me!" Snotlout said, crossing his arms over his chest.

"Yes, I will give you that one, Snot," Hiccup commented.

Snotlout leaned back and put his arm around his wife. We were all surprised when Snotlout told us he had actually found somebody willing to marry him. But after we met her, we all knew they were the perfect match. Willow was taller than Snotlout, which wasn't that big of an accomplishment. She had fiery red hair and green eyes. Willow was originally from Outcast Island. She had a calming sense about her. Anybody near her just felt peaceful. She also was good at thinking before doing, and some of that was rubbing off on Snotlout; some, not all.

The red-haired lass smiled up at her husband. "Don't worry, babe. I think you are brave," she said.

"Thank you, my love. See? Somebody knows the truth!" Snotlout said. But, when he wasn't looking, Willow looked at us and shook her head slightly. We all laughed, very much confusing Snotlout.

"So, Fishlegs, Heather, how is little Mila?" Hiccup asked.

"Oh, Hiccup, she is perfect! She looks just like her mom and I am already teaching her all about dragons. I even pulled out my dragon cards!" Fishlegs said excitedly. Heather rolled her eyes but smiled at her geeky husband.

I just smiled and listened as everyone talked and shared old stories. Snotlout and Dagur were telling Willow all about their daring adventures. Hiccup was geeking out with Fishlegs. And the twins were giving Heather their excellent parenting advice. I laughed quietly and placed my hand over my, now very round, belly. I loved how we were all still friends, even after all these years we found time to hang out together.

While I was looking around at all my friends is when I felt the first contraction. I didn't think much of it, Valka had told me I would be having a few every now and then between now and when the baby is born.

Several more came after that, slowly increasing in strength, making me stand up and take a few steps to try to walk it off. Hiccup was the only one to notice and he got up and walked over to me.

"Are you okay?" he asked, placing his hand over my baby bump.

"Yeah, it is just a few contractions. Your mom said this is normal at this stage," I said, groaning slightly. Then I felt something wet sliding down my legs. My eyes widened and I looked down. A small puddle had formed around my feet. I looked up at my husband, whose eyes were as wide as the plates in the Great Hall.

"Astrid, is that supposed to happen?" he asked. I could hear the nervousness in his voice.

"Only if I am going into labor…" I whispered.

By then the others started to catch on that something was going on.

"So is that what you are doing? I mean, is that, uh… are you?" Hiccup stammered.

"I think so, let's get Valka," I said, groaning as I experienced another contraction.

"Guys, what's going on?" Tuffnut asked.

"We're having a baby," I said as calmly as I could. The others all jumped up and ran over, asking what they could do to help and seeing if I needed anything.

"Now, when birthing a child it is best to squat down and just let it fall out," Tuffnut said, using one of his weird accents.

"Ah, correct, dear brother!" Ruff agreed.

"Yeah, I am not doing that. Can somebody get Valka? Hiccup, let's go home. Now please," I said. The contractions were getting more intense. Hiccup helped me walk up the path to our house and up to our bedroom.

We were having a baby.


End file.
